“She’d bust up the troop!” Mame warned her.
“No, I don’t think that she would,” answered Marjorie. “It would not be a scout-like thing to do, and I think Queenie is a real Girl Scout. But I would rather she did, than expect me to be captain of a troop like that. I must have real Girl Scouts—or nobody!”
“Nuthin’ doubtful about you, is there?” remarked Gertie.
“No; and I don’t want to leave any doubts about my troop. Once more I ask you both: Do you or do you not intend to join the scouts?”
“I guess not, Miss Wilkinson,” replied Gertie, speaking for both herself and Mame. “It seems sort of foolish to me.”
“Besides, there’s a grand serial runnin’ Saturday nights at the ‘White Palace’,” added Mame, “and it’s a shame to miss it, now we’ve begun it.”
“Very well, then, that’s settled. But don’t either of you say that we put you out, for we didn’t. You were expected last night at the meeting, and it wasn’t our fault that you stayed away, and missed what turned out to be a very good time....
“Now—may I make you some tea?”
“All right, I don’t mind,” accepted Gertie. “We got a good ride ahead of us.”
A moment later, however Marjorie realized that her hospitable invitation was a mistake on her part. The informality of the little party gave Gertie a further chance for gossip.